Electric switch



April 15, 1947. s. UNGER ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 1o, 194e INVENTOR.

/'fgger M ATTO/TNB )1S .Sznf BY Wide/XM? Patented Apr. 15, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH Sidney Unger, New York, N. Y., assigner' to E. A.

Laboratories, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York 6 Claims.

This invention relates to electric switches and in particular to a switch having completely enclosed. contact means.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a compact switch of relatively small size, in which the contacting elements are protected from the external atmosphere.

It is an object of the invention to provide a switch having an imperforate body portion provided with a fiexible neck portion mounting a rigid contact member for cooperation with fixed contact means within the said body.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an electric switch having contact means which are normally completely enclosed, but which are accessible for replacement or inspection.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a switch in which the contacts arev disposed within a gastight chamber which may have an interior atmosphere having a gas pressure greater or less than normal atmospheric, as desired.

It is another object of the invention to provide a switch of inexpensive construction which will function over long periods of time with freedom from operational diilicultes.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 601,613, filed June 26, 1945, now Patent Number 2,401,390, entitled Retractible lamp structure.

Other featuresand advantages will hereinafter be described.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig: 1 is a top plan view of a presently preierred embodiment of a switch incorporating the present invention;

Fig. 2'is a side elevation in section on lines 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan section on lines 3- 3 of Fig. 2;l

Fig. 4 is a vertical elevation taken on lines 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5'is a sectional elevation showingt a second methodl of securing the fiexible chamber neck to the switch chamber.

Referring to the drawings,v the switch Ii! includes a supporting base or the like havingv an angle bracket II. Brazed, soldered, or otherwise secured to a leg I3 thereof is an imperiorate tubular housing I2 within which is located a contact member I4. The leg I3 forms a closure for the end of said housing. Plates of 'insulation material I5, I6 serve to insulatedly support the contact on the leg I3, and the illustrated rivets, `screws or the like serve as electrical connection means between the contact and a soldering lug or similar terminal I 'I. v

The insulators I5, I6 are preferably of yield-- able material such as synthetic or natural rubber or rubber compounds; the rivets or screws cause the opposed surfaces I8y I9 respectively' of the terminal and Contact tov compress the insulators to effectively seal the openings 20' through the bracket leg I3 against leakage;

The opposite end of the cylindrical' chamber l2 receives or telescopes with respect to acollar 22` provided at the end of a flexible neck, which may be a tubular metallic bellows 23 of conventionalform. The collar 22 may be soldered or otherwise secured to the chamber I 2, or, as shown in Fig. 5, may be screw-thread'edly'afiixed thereto by relatively fine threads. In such form', it is desirable to interpose a gasket 23 between the last convolution of the bellows and the end wall of the chamber. To the opposite end of theV bellows there is affixed an actuator plate' 24 which completely closes the end of the neck. Said plate 24 is hereinafter referred to as an actuator, and is provided with an enlarged opening which receives a resilient or deformable insulating bushing '25 provided centrally of the bellows. A contact bar 2Bhaving a contact button 2'l in operative position with respect to the contact I 4 is secured to the insulator 25. It will be noted that said contact bar has an enlarged head 2'8; a screw 29` passing through the terminal lug' 33 will, when tightened, compress the insulator 25 to seal the opening through the actuator plate 24.

The switch housing is thus completely sealed against the external atmosphere and the housing' may be evacuated toa suitable subatmos pheric pressure or may contain aninert gas under any desired pressure.

Riveted or otherwise secured to one face ofthe angle bracket I I is a pivot support plate 3l which preferably extends parallel to the housing I 2, and which at its opposite end has an opening'serving as aV bearing for a pintle 32 projecting from' an ear'provided on the actuator 24. To" the opposite side of the angle brackety I I thereis aflixeda member 33, having two divergent platel portions. Plate 34 thereof 'extends' parallel to the housing I 2 and is provided with an opening'which receives a `pintle 35 extending from the opposite side ,of the actuator 24.' Pursuant to this construction, the actuator may be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise about itsvrespectve pintles, and the flexible neck will distort so that its axis is angularlyy displacedwith respect' tothe'axis of the housing I2. Secured to the plate 3| and ex- 3 tending across the structure is a stop 36 which, see Fig. 4, serves to limit the extent of clockwise rotation of the actuator 24.

It is considered preferable to have the switch positively biased in either closed or open circuit position. Accordingly, an upper plate 31 oi the member 33 extends forwardly of the housing I2 and terminates in a tip 38. Similarly the actuator 24 has a projecting end 39 having a tip 4I) substantially in registry with tip 38. A coil spring 4I ts over the respective tips and is held in position thereon. As is apparent from Fig 2, the spring 4I tends to rotate the actuator 24 into clockwise rotation, whereby the contact 21 will be continuously in engagement with the Contact I4. An arm 42 on the lower end of the actuator 24 typiiies any structure which can be grasped or otherwise engaged to rotate the actuator 24 in counterclockwise direction in order to break the contact.

It will be obvious that with the same initial structure, the switch can be converted to a normally open circuit device by mere reversal of the position of the contact I4, in which event the spring induced clockwise rotation of the actuator 24 would hold the respective contacts apart,

In the Fig. 2 embodiment, the Contact bar 28 may be removed for inspection or replacement of its contact by suiiiciently loosening the screw 29 to permit the rubber bushing 25 to decompress, then working or twisting the contact bar assembly to dsengage the shoulders of the bushing from the wall of the actuator 24. The contact 2'I and, of course, the head 28 of the contact bar are suitably smaller in diameter than the opening in member 24.

The pivot support plates or members 34 and 3l are Sufiiciently springable to permit them to disengage with the pintles of the actuator plate, Then, grasping the actuator 24 to extend the bellows to a position at which the actuator 24 clears the ends of the plates 34 and 3I, a switch of the Fig. type can be disassembled by unscrewing the bellows from the housing. The threaded length of the collar 23 of Fig. 5 is such that with the bellows in relaxed condition, the threads will engage with those in housing I2 before any conflict of actuator 24 with the pivot support plates. After the threads engage, the bellows can be forcibly extended to permit the complete assembly.

Whereas the invention has been described by making a fully detailed reference to a certain presently preferred embodiment, such detail of description is to be understood in an instructive rather than a limiting sense, many changes being possible within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

I claim:

1. An electric switch comprising a frame, a cylindrical chamber carried by said frame, and having a flexible bellows extending from one end of said chamber, said chamber and said bellows being closed at their respective free ends; an actuator plate secured to and closing one end of said bellows; means on said frame for pivotally mounting said actuator arm; spring means carried by said frame for rotating said actuator plate to flex the said bellows in one direction; a contact xed within said chamber, and a second contact fixed to the closed end of said bellows and extending into said chamber in operative relationship to said first contact.

2. An electric switch comprising a frame, a tubular chamber affixed thereto, a porton of said frame forming a closure for one end of said chamber; a tubular member having a plurality of corrugations at right angles to the axis thereof secured to the wall of said tubular chamber and extending axially thereof; an actuator member secured to the free end of said corrugated member transversely thereof and forming a closure therefor; spring mount means provided on said frame externally of said chamber; spring mount means provided on said actuator member; a spring common to said two spring mount means to exert a rotative force on said actuator; contact means xed within said chamber; and complementary contact means supported on said actuator member and extending into said chamber in operative relationship to said iirst named contact means.

3. An electric switch including a frame, a tubular chamber ailixed thereto, a portion of said frame forming a closure for one end of said chamber; an end of said tubular member having a plurality of corrugations formed peripherally about its wall to impart iexibility thereto, the free end of said member being closed by means including a distortable, removable plug of insulation material; a contact insulatedly fixed within said tubular chamber; va second contact carried by said distortable insulation means and extending into operative relationship with respect to said fixed contact; and means for conjointly securing said second contact to said distortable plug and to expand said plug to aiiord sealing relationship between said plug and the closure means of said corrugated tubular member; the maximum diams eter of said second contact being less than the minimum effective diameter of said closure plug when the same is in expanded status.

4.. An electric switch including a frame, a tubu lar chamber aiiixed thereto and having one closed end; an expansible bellows screw-threadediy secured to said chamber in gas-tight relation therewith; a contact in said tubular chamber; a second contact secured to an end wall of said bellows and extending into said chamber in oper ative relation to said first contact; an actuator secured to said bellows end; and pivot plate means on said frame removably pivotally engaging said actuator; the position of said pivots relative to the normal unexpanded length of said bellows being such that upon disengagement of said pivotal plates and forcible expansion of said bellows, the latter may be rotated to be unscrewed from said tubular chamber without conflict of said actuator with respect to said pivot plates.

5. An electric switch, comprising a frame, a rigid chamber affixed to said frame. said chamber having one open end; a sleeve-like flexible bellows secured to and enclosing the open end of said chamber, and extending axially thereof; a plate pivotally mounted on said frame and closing the free end of said bellows; a spring acting on said plate for rotating the same and normally biasing said bellows out of axial alignment with said chamber; a Contact fixed within said chamber; a second contact extending into said chamber from the bellows end thereof and movable according to rotation of said plate into or out of engagement with said iirst contact; a lever extending from said plate for rotating the same; and stop means xed to said frame and engageable with said plate to limit rotation thereof in one direction.

6. {An electric switch including a frame,y a closed-ended rigid chamber carried thereby, the wall at one end of said chamber being formed El with a plurality of peripheral corrugations to impart flexibility thereto, the free end of said corrugated Wall being closed by a plate having an opening removably receiving a plug of flexible insulation material; a Contact fixed within said chamber; a cooperating Contact carried by said insulation material and extending into said Chamber, said cooperating Contact having a shoulder of less diameter than the opening in said plate and bearing against the inner surface of said insulation material; a connection terminal having a flat surface bearing against the opposite Wall of said insulation material; and screw means passing from said terminal into the shoulder of said cooperating Contact to complete a circuit path from said terminal to said Contact and to squeeze said insulation material to expand it into sealing relationship with said closure plate.

SIDNEY UNGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 5 le of this patent:

UNITED STATES lPATENTS Number 5 Number 

